How to merge two variables together?

[lavienrose1]

Hi,

After transposing my long dataset to wide, I realised some variables were the same but titled differently (one is serum, and the other plasma). So now I would like to clean my data further by merging the variables but having trouble with the coding. 

For example (see sample data below):

For subject E01, I would like to put the data for 'var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__P' under the first variable 'var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Se' and delete 'var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__P' . Similarly, I would like to put the data under 'var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Plasma' under the 3rd variable 'var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Serum_'.

What is the best way to go about doing this? Thanks in advance.

SUBJECT	var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Se	var_Albumin__Serum_	var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Serum_	var_Aspartate_Aminotransferase__	var_Bilirubin__Total__Serum_	var_Calcium__Serum_	var_Carbohydrate_Antigen_125__Se	var_Creatinine__Serum_	var_Gamma_Glutamyltransferase__S	var_Hemoglobin__Blood_	var_Lactate_Dehydrogenase__Serum	var_Leucocytes__Particle_Concent	var_Lymphocytes__Particle_Concen	var_Neutrophils__Particle_Concen	var_Platelets__Particle_Concentr	var_Protein__Total__Serum_	var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Pl	var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Plasma	var_Bilirubin__Total__Plasma_	var_Calcium__Plasma_	var_Creatinine__Plasma_	var_Gamma_Glutamyltransferase__P	var_Lactate_Dehydrogenase__Plasm	var_Lymphocytes__Blood_	var_Protein__Total__Plasma_	var_Albumin__Plasma_
E02	27	43	129	34	6	2.54	5	68	29	122	241	7.3	2.5	3.8	175	75
E01				26			39			115		5.11	2.5	2.2	187		37	72	3.249	2.36	83.98	18	231	49.7	74

[Shmuel]

If I understand it correctly you have an array of _serum compatible to array of _plasma

and you want to move the last into the first then drop the last array variables.

Is it correct ?

Can both variables xxx_serum and xxx_plasma be non empty ? - If positive, what do you want to do?

replace the value or save both in separate oservations ?

[lavienrose1]

If I understand it correctly you have an array of _serum compatible to array of _plasma

and you want to move the last into the first then drop the last array variables.

Is it correct ? 

Yes that is the correct understanding

Can both variables xxx_serum and xxx_plasma be non empty ? - If positive, what do you want to do?

replace the value or save both in separate oservations ? 

I would replace the value 

Thanks

[Shmuel · Accepted solution]

Use next code to do the work:

data want

 set have;

       array x_serum var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Se var_Albumin__Serum_ ..... <up to the last ..._srum>;

       array x_plasma var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Pl  var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Plasma ..... <up to last ..._plasma>;

       **** Be careful to order both arrays in compatible order !  ***;

     do i=1 to dim(x_serum);

          if x_plasma(i) ne .    /* missing value */

          then x_serum(i) = x_plasma(i);

    end;

    drop i  x_plasma var_Alanine_Aminotransferase__Pl  var_Alkaline_Phosphatase__Plasma ..... <up to last ..._plasma>;

run;

[lavienrose1]

Thank you Shmuel - that worked